The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association offers a variety of internships in all departments, and we are always lucky to engage young, smart, and eager individuals—current students and recent graduates—from all disciplines. Working here can provide an in-depth look at not only the Orchestra’s rich history but also insight into the day-to-day operations of a performing arts organization. We recently reached out to former Rosenthal Archives interns to see what they have been up to . . .

Stephen Abitbol

A digital cinema graduate from DePaul University, Stephen Abitbol processed audio and video recording collections in the archives. “It was incredible to see how much dedication, love, and patience it takes from each musician to work as a whole to create a unique sound. It helped me understand how important it is to work as a team in my personal and professional relationships to grow together.” Stephen currently lives in Haifa, Israel, working as a digital marketer in a variety of startups. This fall, he is a full-time student there in language school to learn Hebrew.

Kathryn Antonelli

After her recent tenure in the archives, Kathryn Antonelli completed internships at Princeton University and the University of Hawaii, working with born-digital and moving-image collections. “Working at the CSO was what opened the doors to these amazing new experiences, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend a season there.” She will soon graduate from the University of South Carolina with her master of library and information science degree (MLIS) and plans to reside and work in Philadelphia.

Sierra Campbell

Sierra Campbell completed degrees in fine arts from Harold Washington College and English literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago before earning an MLIS degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Working at the CSO impacted both my personal and professional paths, as I was able to meet the friendly employees and volunteers. They were all so gracious and willing to help out in any way, and no act of recognition was too small to have been noticed.” Sierra currently works at Fox College, managing libraries on two campuses.

Kerry Fulara

Kerry Fulara earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Michigan State University and an MLIS (with a specialization in archives, preservation, and records management) degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Following her internship, she worked with Rush Hour Concerts and formally established its archives. “My time at the CSO taught me the importance and benefits of networking, connecting with people, and building relationships.” Kerry later worked as a records manager and now as a real estate analyst with Invenergy. Continuing her archival work, she currently volunteers with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, developing its restoration archive.

John Garvens (Sarah Pemberton photo)

Since working in the archives, John Garvens has transitioned from music to retail to fitness to software to advertising to consulting while serving in the U.S. Army Reserve as a trombone player from 2004 until 2016. He especially remembers two visitors to the archives, Yo-Yo Ma and Pierre Boulez. “Both men were musical heroes of mine; it was an honor to meet them. It also was really cool to archive the media from Riccardo Muti’s earliest years with the CSO.” John earned a bachelor of music degree in trombone performance from Illinois State University.

Matthew Greenman (reverb.com photo)

Matthew Greenman completed a bachelor of music degree in performing arts management from DePaul University in 2016 before his CSO internships in the archives and the marketing department. “My time in the archives greatly enhanced my organizational skills, formed my fascination of and appreciation for the orchestra, and rekindled my love of live music.” Matthew later worked as a listings coordinator at reverb.com in Lakeview, and he is preparing to take the exam to join the New York City Fire Department.

Andrew Lyon (E. Lyon photo)

After earning his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance from Illinois State University, Andrew Lyon joined the staff, processing and cataloguing the Margaret Hillis score collection. He later completed a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Butler University and has since returned to the archives on numerous occasions to utilize the score and audio collections. In the archives, “once you’re a part of it, you’re a part for life. You have your own page in the CSO history books.” Andrew currently is artistic and music director of The 65th Street Klezmorim and on faculty at Ivy Tech Community College.

Shridar Mani completed a bachelor’s degree in music (with honors) from the University of Chicago while an intern in the archives, where one of his projects was processing and cataloguing a collection of manuscripts by Chicago composer William Lester (see here and here). After graduation, he returned home to Singapore where he has worked for the past several years as a programming officer at the Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay, producing a wide variety of concerts in all genres. “Working at the CSO helped me realize that working in the arts was a calling, and it has led to my career for the past six years and many more to come.”

Charles Russell Roberts (Mike Grittani photo)

With degrees from the University of Florida and the Eastman School of Music, Charles Russell Roberts currently is finishing a master’s degree in performing arts administration at Roosevelt University. “The archives internship was my first foray into working at a cultural institution in a capacity beyond the stage, and it gave me a deep understanding and respect for the integrity and preservation of not only physical archives but also the importance of records and data in understanding how an organization changes over time.” Charles—also an alumnus of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago—currently balances a full-time job as a project manager with Grenzebach Glier and Associates with performances with the Gaudete Brass Quintet.

Andrew Song

Before completing a bachelor of arts degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago, Andrew Song worked at the CSO as an archives intern and patron services associate. “I gained strong insight into how a large organization can foster meaningful long-term relationships with its patrons as well as nurture its community through education and outreach . . . I also realized, for the first time, the greater institutional sense of community oriented self-efficacy: a pride that I was part of a great organization that made such fantastic concerts possible for the sake of our audience members.” Andrew currently is a student at Harvard Medical School.

Gregory Starr

“Working with the archives really strengthened my attention to detail,” remembers Gregory Starr, whose internship helped fulfill a class requirement for his bachelor’s degree in music business from Western Illinois University. Once after assisting with an exhibit, he mentioned that he “enjoyed getting to see more of our own collection and getting to show it off to others.” He continued to volunteer with the CSO as he worked toward a degree in digital forensics and network security at Elgin Community College, and he recently took a position as a technology support specialist—concentrating on networking troubleshooting and architecture—at The Packaging Wholesalers.

Jack Vishneski

Jack Vishneski studied history (with minors in ethnomusicology and music) at Beloit College and was working as a freelance audio engineer and singer when he began his internship in the archives, where he learned about “the value of cultivating institutional memory, especially as a key component of the storytelling needed to (at minimum) survive and (one hopes) thrive in the non-profit arts sector.” Jack completed a master’s degree in musicology from the University of Minnesota, and he and his wife are expecting their first child in November.

Joe White

Following his internship in the archives, Joe White earned a master’s degree in composition from the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College and has been active in the New York music and theater scene ever since. “Working at CSO right after undergrad was very affirming on many levels, as it provided confirmation that I wanted to seek out, and participate in, artistic communities. I learned that there was a place for me professionally and personally in my post-academic life.” His most recent work is the score to Alex Borinsky’s Clubbed Thumb play Of Government.

Cassandra Wilson

Cassandra Wilson completed her MLIS from Dominican University before starting her internship in the archives. “The CSO was the most amazing place to intern because I could marry my love of music with history and archives. It is also very hard to describe what it feels like to be going about your day with the life mask of Beethoven sitting on your work surface and watching over your every move!” Now residing in Houston, she freelances as a webmaster and researcher, and she currently is assisting a new company with planning and implementing its corporate archives. Cassandra also is personal assistant to her sister—opera singer and recent Richard Tucker Music Foundation award recipient—Tamara Wilson.